Mouthpiece for telephone-transmitters.



H. F. VANDERVORT. MOUTHPIECE FOR TELEPHONE TRANSMITTERS.

APPLICATION FILED 05c. 12. 1914.

1,184,899. Patented May 30,1916.

witnesses Inventor per Attorney.

nu. COLUMIIA PLANOOIAPM 60.. WMHXMIDN. D. c.

HORATIO F. VANDERVORT, 0F LOVELAND, OHIO.

MOUTHPIECE FOB TELEPHONE-TRANSMITTERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 12, 1914. Serial No. 876,973.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, HORATIO F. VANDER- VORT, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Loveland, county of Clermont, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mouthpieces for Telephone-Transmitters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in mouth pieces for telephone transmitters and has for an object to produce a transmitter which is particularly adapted to use on public telephones, to render these telephones sanitary.

A further object is to produce a mouth piece for telephone transmitters which may be renewed each time the telephone is used.

A further object is to produce a mouth piece for telephone transmitters in which means are provided for preventing dust and other foreign matter from entering the telephone when it is not in use.

These and other objects are attained in the apparatus described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a mouth piece embodying my invention mounted upon the front plate of the transmitter casing, a portion of which has been shown. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the mouth piece with its parts in the positions they occupy when the telephone is not in use. Fig. 3 is a front view of the removable mouth piece or speaking tube embodying one of the features of my invention. Fig. 4 is a front view of a portion of the permanently mounted parts of the mouth piece embodying my invention with the cover removed. Fig. 5 is a front view of the cover adapted to be mounted on the portion illustrated in Fig. 4.

In ordinary telephone installations the mouth piece provided is made of hard rubber 6r similar material and is permanently mounted upon the transmitter. When a great number of persons use the telephone, such as a telephone which is installed for public use, the hard rubber mouth piece becomes unsanitary and is very liable to be the means of spreading disease. In order to overcome this objection, various devices for disinfecting the mouth pieces have been provided. These devices are usually attached to the telephone in positions which would somewhat obstruct the use thereof and also be liable to become damaged, as well as necessitating the frequent attention of an attendant. In addition to these disadvantages the constant disinfecting operation would be inclined to deteriorate the various sensitive parts of the telephone mechanism, and the use of disinfectants for this purpose would also become annoying to the users of telephones. For the purpose of rendering the use of devices of this character unnecessary, I have devised the mouth piece illustrated 1n the accompanying drawings and herein described.

This mouth piece consists of a metal tubular portion 6 which is screwed into the front plate 7 of the casing of an ordinary telephone transmitter and occupies the place of the ordinary hard rubber mouth piece, and a bell-shaped speaking tube 8 which is preferably formed of wax paper or similar material and which is removably mounted in the holder 6. A lid or door 9 is also provided for the purpose of closing the opening in the holder 6 when the mouth piece 8 is removed. The holder 6 consists of a shell 10 having .a recess 11 into which the speaking tube 8 is placed, and at the other end of the shell a somewhat reduced screw threaded end 12 is provided. This end .12 is so formed with the shell 10 that a shoulder 13 is provided for the purpose of forming an abutment for the speaking tube when it is slipped in position. In addition to this the screw threaded end provides an external shoulder 14 adapted to seat against the front plate 7 of the transmitter casing, when the shell is screwed into the plate. The screw threads upon the end 12 may be of standard size so that the shell may be placed in position upon any telephone by merely replac ing the old mouth piece with a mouth piece embodying my invention.

The bell-shaped speaking tube 8 which, as above set forth, is constructed of parafiined paper or similar material, is provided with a diaphragm 15 adjacent to its inner end, for the purpose of preventing foreign matter from entering the sensitive transmitter and thereby affecting the operation thereof. This diaphragm is also made of the same material as the speaking tube 8 and is integrally formed therewith so that when the speaking tube is renewed, the diaphragm 15 will also be renewed.

The lid 9 is provided for the purpose of closing the recess 11 when a speaking tube Patented May 30, 1916. i

is removed from the telephone and a holder.

.embodying my invention is screwed into 7 position in the place thereof. The holder is so positioned upon the telephone that the lid 9 occupies the position shown in the drawings, its pivotal point 16 being on top so that the lid may close by gravity.

Adjacent to the telephone I contemplate providing a stock of paraffined speaking tubes 8 so that when a party desires to use the telephone he has merely to lift the lid 9 and to slip one of the speaking tubes 8 into position within the holder. Upon terminating his conversation he removes the speaking tube 8 and deposits it in a suitable waste receptacle provided therefor. In such an action the lid 9 closes, the spring 17 aiding to bring the lid to its closed position as illustrated in Fig. 2. With the lid in this position thetelephone is absolutely protected from germs and dust. The next person desiring to use the telephone lifts the lid and places a fresh speakingtube within the holder.

In addition to insuring the closing of the lid 9 when it is brought to the position shown in Fig. 1, the spring 17 prevents the lid from being thrown back against the casing of the transmitter so that it could not close after a speaking tube is removed. It will thus be seen that I have provided not only a means of preventing the telephone from becoming unsanitary when in use, but that I have also provided means for preventing the telephone from becoming unsanitary when not in use. A most important feature of my invention is the provision of the renewable diaphragm 15 which takes the place of the similar hard rubber diaphragm provided with the ordinary permanently mounted hard rubber mouth piece. It is this diaphragm in the ordinary mouth piece, which is subjected to the greatest chances of becoming unsanitary and therefore it is of utmost importance that this diaphragm as well as the bell-shaped portion of the mouth-piece, be removed and renewed after each usage of the telephone.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: 7

1. A mouth piece fortelephone transmitters, comprising a holder, a speaking tube removably mounted in the holder, and a lid phragm located in the speaking tube, and a lid and means automatically acting to move said lid to close the holder when the speaking tube is removed.

4. A mouth piece for telephone transmitters, comprising a holder having a shouldered cylindrical recess adapted to receive a speaking tube, a speaking tube having a cylindrical end removably mounted in the recess and adapted to engage the shoulder, a lid, and means automatically acting to move said lid to close the recess when the speaking tube is removed.

5. A mouth piece for telephone transmitters, comprising a holder having a shouls dered recess adapted to receive a speaking tube, a speaking tube removably mounted in the recess and adapted to engage the shoulder, a diaphragm located in the speaking tube, a lid, and means automatically acting to move said lid to close the recess when the speaking tube is removed.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 1st day of December, 1914.

HORATIO F. VANDERVORT.

WVitnesses WALTER F. MURRAY, W. THORNTON BOGE-RT.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. 0. 

